


Daddy's Leg

by Dusty1918



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Daniel's leg, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 19:10:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7450720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dusty1918/pseuds/Dusty1918
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was only a matter of time before Daniel and Peggy's son asked about Daniel's leg</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daddy's Leg

 If someone had told Jack Thompson back in ‘46 that someday he would be sitting on the floor playing blocks with Marge and Sousa’s 4 year old son, he would have asked them what they had been drinking and could he have some. But here he is sitting on the floor with Carter, trying to build a block tower version of the NY skyline. Jack is in DC for meetings at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and is staying at the Sousas as he usual does. 

Carter’s tiny voice brings Jack back to the present. “Uncle Jack?”

“Yeah, little man?”

“Why does my daddy sometime have 2 legs and sometime he has 1?”

“Shit,” Jack mutters under his breath. He loves hanging out with Carter (shocking everyone, including him) but he likes to keep things fun and light. And the topic of Sousa’s wartime injury was neither fun nor light. “You know,” he says as he sets a block on top of the tower, “I think that is a question for your dad.”

“OK.”

Jack stands and ruffles Carter’s hair. “I’m gonna go see if your mom and dad have dinner ready.”  
\-----  
Jack struts into the kitchen. Peggy is taking a casserole out of the oven and Daniel is preparing a salad. 

“So,” he says as he hops onto the counter a few feet from Daniel, who gives him a disapproving look. “The kid just asked me a very interesting question.”

Peggy closes the oven door and turns to him. “Was it about Smokey Bear? He has been obsessed with him since our recent trip to the National Zoo.”

“Last week, he tried to get us to start calling him Smokey,” her husband adds.

“No, he asked me why his daddy sometimes has only one leg.”

Peggy and Daniel look at each other. 

“I take it you haven’t discussed it with him?”

“It hasn’t seemed like he was old enough to understand.” Daniel sits down heavily in a kitchen chair. “We certainly haven’t kept it visually from him. He has seen me with and without the leg. Heck, he has even seen the stump a couple of times.”

Peggy leans against the counter. She can tell how difficult this is for Daniel. It has been nearly 9 years since his injury. He never says it but Peggy can tell he still sometimes misses the things he could do before. 

“What did you tell him, Jack?,” she asks. 

“Don’t worry. It isn’t my story to tell. I told him it was a question for his dad.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Daniel whispers. 

“No problem.” Jack jumps down from the counter. “So, is dinner ready?”

“Yes,” Peggy says as she takes plates down from a cabinet. “Can you go get Carter, please?”  
\-----  
That night, after Carter has had his bath and is in his PJs, he holds Daniel’s hand as they walk into the boy’s bedroom. Peggy is already in there, folding back the sheets for him. 

“In you go, chap,” she says before Carter scampers onto his bed. Peggy covers him and moves to sit on the other side of the bed as Daniel sits on a chair next to it. 

“Carter,” Daniel begins, “Uncle Jack told me you have a question for me. Ask away.”

The boy looks back and forth to his parents before looking down at his hands. “Daddy,” he says in a small voice, “why do you sometimes only have one leg?”

“That is a very good question. Well, a long time ago, before I knew Mummy and Uncle Jack. . .”

“What about Uncle Howie?,” Carter interrupts. Peggy and Daniel laugh. 

“Yes, this was before I knew Uncle Howie, too. A long time ago, I had two legs, just like you, but one day, after I was grown up, I was in an accident and got hurt really bad. The only way the doctors could help me was to take my hurt leg away. Now, I have a fake leg called a prosthetic that I can take on and off. Would you like to see it?”

“Uh, huh.”

“Carter, dear, what do we say?,” Peggy asks. 

“Yes, please, Daddy.”

Daniel stands and lowers his pants to his knees before sitting back down in his boxers. “See,” he says pointing to the straps, “this is how I keep it on.” He unbuckles the straps and removes the leg from his stump. Carter looks from the scars back up to his father’s eyes. “It’s OK. You can look and touch if you want to. Just be really soft and gentle, please.”

Carter reaches out his little hand to touch the maze of scars on the remains of Daniel’s right thigh. 

“Daddy? Did it hurt when the doctors took your leg away?” Carter moves to sit back against his pillows. Daniel reattaches his leg before pulling his pants back up. 

“No, the doctors gave me some really nice medicine to help me sleep. When I woke up, it was all taken care of. Anymore questions tonight?”

“No, Daddy.”

“I’m going to go make sure Uncle Jack isn’t getting into any trouble. Mummy is going to read you a story. I think tonight's story is Winnie-the-Pooh.” He kisses Carter on the forehead. “Good night, my boy. Sleep tight.” He stands and walks over to Peggy. Kissing her cheek, he whispers, “Thank you.”

“You are very welcome, my darling.”

At the door, Daniel turns around to look at the two most important people in his life: his wife and son. People he might not have if not for that winter’s night in Bastogne.

**Author's Note:**

> The living symbol of Smokey the Bear lived at the National Zoo from 1950 until 1976: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Bear#The_living_symbol_of_Smokey


End file.
